Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Quiz

Answer: Caribbean Sea

The Lesser Antilles, also called the Caribbees, are on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. They were formed by subduction as an Atlantic plate slipped under the Caribbean plate, and are primarily volcanic islands. They are smaller than the islands referred to as the Greater Antilles: Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (comprised of Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

Answer: Windward Islands

The Leeward Islands are the northern part of the chain, while the Windward Islands form its southern portion. English nomenclature divides the southern islands into Windward Islands (the eastern portion) and Leeward Antilles (to the west, close to the northern coast of South America).

The names are derived from the fact that 'windward' group are the first to be reached when sailing from Europe under usual wind conditions, and 'leeward' islands are further away. Other members of the Windward Islands group include Dominica, Santa Lucia, Grenada and Martinique.

Answer: Windward coast is rocky; Leeward coast has many bays with sandy beaches

Being a volcanic island, Saint Vincent has very little level ground, but the natural action of wind and water has led to the creation of sandy-beached bays on the Leeward side of the island. Most of its beaches are made of black sand, formed by volcanic activity.

Answer: Grenada

The Grenadines are a chain of about 600 (mostly uninhabited) coral islands that stretch between Saint Vincent and Grenada, about 50 miles to the southwest. They are renowned for their beaches and for excellent conditions for pleasure sailing. The islands to the south of the Martinique Channel belong to Grenada. The total area of the islands in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is 389 sq km (150 sq mi); 344 sq km (133 sq mi) of this is Saint Vincent, 45 sq km (17 sq mi) is from the Grenadines.

Barbados is a neighbour to the east, and Santa Lucia to the north; Mustique is one of the Grenadines.

Answer: English

Carib natives resisted European invasion of Saint Vincent (which they called Hairouna) until the 18th century, but French settlers gained control around 1720 and established plantations using African slave labor. The British gained control in 1763, then the French reclaimed it following an invasion in 1779; in 1783, as part of the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolutionary War, the rights were finally ceded to Great Britain. Saint Vincent achieved independence in 1979. The great British colonial sporting tradition of playing cricket has continued - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines form part of the multi-national sporting entity The West Indies, also called 'The Windies', which dominated the international cricketing scene in the 1980s.

A French patois (often referred to as 'dialect' or Vincentian Creole), Bhojpuri and Portuguese are also spoken on the islands.

Answer: Black

Most Vincentians are descended from the African slaves brought to work the plantations during the 18th century. The 2008 ethnic mix was: Black 66%, Mixed Race 19%, East Indians 6%, White 4%, Carib Amerindian 2%, Other 3%. 'Other' included a growing Chinese population.

Answer: Kingstown is the capital of the parish of Saint George.

These are all true statements, but St Andrew is associated with Scotland, St David with Wales, and St Patrick with Ireland. The other parish on the main island is Charlotte (capital Georgetown), and the sixth parish is composed of the Grenadines (capital Port Elizabeth). Kingstown is on the southwest corner of the island of Saint Vincent.

Answer: La Soufriere

La Soufriere is the youngest and most active volcano on the island of Saint Vincent, and is also its highest peak at 1234m (4048ft). A stratovolcano with a crater lake which can be reached via a 5-km walking track, it is known to have erupted violently in 1718, 1812, 1902, 1971, and 1979. The 1902 eruption, occurring within hours of the eruption of Mount Pelee on nearby Martinique, killed 1680 people. The 1979 eruption caused extensive crop damage, and required the evacuation of 20,000 people, but did not produce any fatalities. Another eruption in 2021 was roughly the same size as that of 1902, with evacuation procedures significantly complicated by COVID restrictions.

As is the case for many Caribbean nations, hurricanes are also a regular natural hazard faced by Vincentians.

Answer: Bananas

Early in the 21st century, banana production has accounted for over 60% of the Vincentian workforce, and 50% of the country's exports. Tropical storms, not an unusual occurrence in the Caribbean, regularly cause significant damage to crops, resulting in economic disruption, especially when it occurs in two consecutive years, as happened in 1994 and 1995. Coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar were grown in colonial times, but are not significant modern export crops.

Answer: Pirates of the Caribbean

Tourism has become a chief source of foreign exchange. Improved airports, cruise ship berths, ferry services and accommodations have made it easier for tourists to visit the nation. The first three films in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series used Saint Vincent for location shots between 2002 and 2007, bringing international attention to this island nation.